Fair Catch - When Logic Flies Out The Window

[TwoDeep3]

I guess I have missed a few meetings, so I didn't get the hand-out which would advise me of a rule change.

But would the folks here explain that fair catch in the playing field, which moved the ball to the 25 yard line on a kick-off?

 

[Praxit]

..lol... my brother was hollering at TV.. Where's the flag? When the fair catch was made.

I laughed, told him of the new rule.

I feel the 20 yardline, would be more valid. Its basically, free kick from long distance.

 

[thunderpimp91]

Yeah that's the rule on Kickoffs now. I'm sure it's all in the name of player safety and reducing the overall number of returns. At this point I say just scrap the kickoff rule and come up with something else. over the last decade or so they've moved kickoffs up 5 yards to increase touchbacks, stopped kickoff teams from getting running starts, moved touchbacks up to the 25 instead of the 20, and now any fair catch goes to the 25. It's become a pretty pointless play since so few actually get returned, especially considering half of them that do end up with holding penalties anyways.

I'd like to see them go to more of a punt type of situation on kickoffs. Punt plays have significantly fewer injuries than kickoffs as no one gets a true free release with everyone around the LOS aside from the return player. I'd miss the actual kickoff, but it's not like those plays really add to the game as is anymore.

 

[TwoDeep3]

Player safety = the league doesn't want to deal with concussions and the back side of that argument by paying the players who have a permanent disability.

So, one of my ridiculous analogies.
You attend a carnival and there is a knife thrower. He has a questionably attractive woman standing with an apple on her head. Because that skill is not a science, he tosses the knife and it ends up stuck between her eyes and she expires.

Was that just a tragic accident? Was that negligent manslaughter. Or was it homicide? And what part does the woman's agreeing to put the apple on her head play in absolving the knife thrower?

What part does the player actively seeking a job with an NFL franchise come into play, knowing the risk of personal health after the career could be less than desired?

 

[big dog cowboy]

The league knows it can't eliminate kick offs. But there are proportionally too many injuries resulting from them. Hence the new rule.

All about safety. This is the new NFL.

 

[maryquality]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't this new rule also at the college level?

 

[TwentyOne]

The league knows it can't eliminate kick offs. But there are proportionally too many injuries resulting from them. Hence the new rule.

All about safety. This is the new NFL.

Well if the NFl would be all about safety they would stop playing football.

The NFL is more about pretending they are all about safety. Like Jerry pretends he is all about winning.

 

[TwentyOne]

Yeah that's the rule on Kickoffs now. I'm sure it's all in the name of player safety and reducing the overall number of returns. At this point I say just scrap the kickoff rule and come up with something else. over the last decade or so they've moved kickoffs up 5 yards to increase touchbacks, stopped kickoff teams from getting running starts, moved touchbacks up to the 25 instead of the 20, and now any fair catch goes to the 25. It's become a pretty pointless play since so few actually get returned, especially considering half of them that do end up with holding penalties anyways.

I'd like to see them go to more of a punt type of situation on kickoffs. Punt plays have significantly fewer injuries than kickoffs as no one gets a true free release with everyone around the LOS aside from the return player. I'd miss the actual kickoff, but it's not like those plays really add to the game as is anymore.

Thanks for the heads up. I wasnt aware of that.

 

[TwentyOne]

Player safety = the league doesn't want to deal with concussions and the back side of that argument by paying the players who have a permanent disability.

So, one of my ridiculous analogies.
You attend a carnival and there is a knife thrower. He has a questionably attractive woman standing with an apple on her head. Because that skill is not a science, he tosses the knife and it ends up stuck between her eyes and she expires.

Was that just a tragic accident? Was that negligent manslaughter. Or was it homicide? And what part does the woman's agreeing to put the apple on her head play in absolving the knife thrower?

What part does the player actively seeking a job with an NFL franchise come into play, knowing the risk of personal health after the career could be less than desired?

Nice twist you are trying to establish.

But worker protection (occupational health and safety) is by law the duty of the employer.

If an employee agrees to something he knows he will suffer from you can call him stupid or whatever. But it doesnt free the employer from being juridically responsible.